Dark Horizon
by Writergirl118
Summary: Kara Silvers has lived her life knowing that each person she loves will eventually leave this world. It happens every time she comes to care for a person. But when she moves into the same school as the Sohma boys, none of their lives will ever be the same
1. Chapter 1

**Dark Horizon**

Note: This is my first Fruits Basket fic, (well, actually my first non-yu-gi-oh fic) so I hope it goes well. Please be nice in reviews, since I'm new to this area and, quite frankly, don't count my knowledge of Fruits Basket to be as complete as that of Yu-gi-oh. I have yet to read the manga (I'm going to soon, though) so this is based on the anime alone. Please, please, read it and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Only the character Kara and her life story belong to me, as well as the plotline of this fic.

Prologue (Yes this is important!)

**One stormy, cold night, the tired granddaughter of a great seer at last gave birth to her child. She beamed up at her beloved husband and cradled her little silver-eyed daughter. Everything in her life was perfect at that moment. **

"**My Kara, you are born at last." For she had known, perhaps because of her heritage, what it was that she would name her child. Her husband beamed at her. **

"**Now I have two lovely woman to love," he teased.**

**But their joy of that night was not to last. There were ill forces at work. Soon after the girl Kara was born, her mother died of mysterious causes and the father wept as due, holding the only remnant of his love for her, their daughter. **

**And he raised her well, to be a caring, sweet girl who loved to frolic in the sun. But that was only the surface of their world, for underneath the same evil that had killed Kara's mother still bore witness to their days. On her fifth birthday, her father, who had been ill for some time, died as well, and she began, small as she was, to wonder why both her parents were gone. **

**Her aunt and uncle took her in, and she grew to love them nearly as much as she loved her father. She made friends, went to school, and behaved essentially as any normal girl would. A year went by and then tragedy found her again. The dear aunt became ill, and, after another year of struggles, she too passed from the earth. By now, of course, all who knew her began to wonder as well why so many near her fell ill and perished. **

**Her uncle still loved her as a daughter, and was only slightly afraid that he too may leave this world sooner than expected. He tried, however, to stress to her the importance of many things that one generally left for later in life. Now seven years of age, and starting to show the world what type of person she would become, she learned lessons and heard stories of love, life, and hardship. But this, too, was not to last. Another two years passed her by, and even at her young age, she could tell that some illness ate away at her beloved uncle. One more year was all she got to spend with him before he passed. **

**By now her relatives feared her, partly because all of her friends were now getting sick as well. She was afraid for them, but she didn't know what to do. It took a while, but she found someone willing to take her in. Her grandfather on her father's side, who didn't believe in the idea of a curse, became her guardian, but not for long. **

**She spent nearly six years with her grandfather before he died. She no longer spoke with her old friends, and as soon as she'd moved away, she heard tell of their miraculous recoveries. She found it impossible to deny that she was clearly cursed. It was the only logical explanation as to why everyone she ever cared for, everyone who ever knew her, died. **

**Her current best friend, who now spent her days in bed with a fever and clinging to life, did not agree with her. "You aren't cursed. There's no such… such… thing," she said softly. **

"**But you're sick. Grandpa died, uncle and auntie died… my parents died… What other explanation is there?"**

"**You aren't a very lucky girl, I'll admit, but you aren't cursed."**

**Kara didn't believe her. Why should she? The next day, her resolve complete, she left. There was simply no way she could ever, she reasoned, make friends again. **

**She found a decent looking town, and better yet, the school was huge so she could likely escape notice and keep from hurting anyone. An abandoned hut in the woods served as her home, and she passed the entrance exam with flying colors. Perhaps it would be alright. **

**But she didn't believe it would, not for her. She thought about the things she'd never be able to do, like fall in love, or get married, or even just go to dances with her friends, and it made her very sad. It would be hard, but she couldn't let anyone get close to her. It was for their own good, after all. **

Chapter One: Yuki Sohma

**Kara stepped apprehensively into the office on her first day of school, the first day of that term, as it happened. The secretary smiled when she saw her and rushed her off to her locker. **

"**You happen to be the only new enrollee for this term, besides the first years, of course," she said. "Therefore, I have the time to find someone to show you the ropes." The woman looked up and down the hall as if searching for a victim. Her eyes locked on a boy who, Kara noticed, was being stared at by every girl in the near vicinity. "Ah, Yuki, you'll be perfect," she declared, pulling him over. "Yuki, this is Kara Silvers, who just moved here a few days before the start of term."**

"**Hello. It's pleasure to meet you, Miss Silvers. I'm Yuki Sohma."**

**She smiled a little, but kept in mind that she couldn't let herself like this boy, kind words or not. She inclined her head in greeting and said nothing.**

"**Yuki, I'd like you to show Miss Silvers around today and make sure she settles in alright. Can you do that for me?"**

"**Of course," he said, ever the picture of politeness. Kara found herself staring along with the other girls. **

**_He almost seems inhuman… no one could really be so… nice. Or maybe it's just because the secretary's here. Yes, he'll be a jerk once she leaves, I'll bet. A pretty face and a pretty dream, maybe, but not a pretty reality. _**

"**I'll leave you to it, then. Have a nice day, Kara!"**

**Kara nodded again and then fiddled with her lock. Her old school didn't have combination locks. They'd used keys. She found that this new method of opening a lock was more complicated than she might have imagined. **

"**It can be difficult the first few times," Yuki said from behind her. "Would you like me to help?"**

**She gave up trying to ignore him and stepped aside. "Thank you," she said softly, running a hand through her long, permed blue hair. She'd needed a change, and something to make her less noticeable. With her hair terribly frizzy and left tied back, she wasn't nearly as attractive as before, and therefore more easily escaped notice. A badly done home perm had been the perfect solution to the problem of boys flirting with her and making life more difficult. Now hardly anyone gave her a second thought. It was lonely, but it was necessary. **

"**There you go," Yuki said with a little half smile. He seemed, she realized, to be expecting something of her, something that would let him down in a way. Whatever it was, she could tell that he wasn't seeing it in her and wondered why. **

"**Thanks," she said again, throwing her bag into the locker with a little thud and scrolling her schedule to see what she'd need. **

"**Your first class is the same as mine, so I can walk you there," Yuki, who had apparently been reading over her shoulder, said. **

"**Oh," she muttered, fumbling with her books. **

"**In fact, your whole schedule is the same as mine," Yuki said in a slight astonished voice. **

**Startled partly by the sound of his voice and by his words, she dropped the books. "Drat it," she muttered, kneeling to pick them up. Yuki handed her some of them and she remembered that, while she couldn't make any friends, it wasn't her plan to be rude. "I guess the secretary knew what she was saying when she said you'd be perfect," she said with a slight smile, then a wince as she realized how it sounded. "Um… I didn't mean that the way it sounded…" she explained. "I meant you'd be perfect for the job… since you schedule's the same as mine… you won't have to deviate or anything." _I'm babbling like a total idiot. Well, at least he won't want to have anything to do with me again after today. _**

**He nodded. "I suppose that's why she chose me."**

**Kara stood up and dusted off her skirt. She'd always been on the clumsy side, she supposed, but something about this Yuki Sohma's presence unnerved her. **

"**I guess we'd better get to class."  
**

"**Yes, we should."**

**She followed him to a classroom full of people, all of whom looked up at stared. Several of the girls in the class scowled at her and she realized what Yuki had been expecting earlier. He'd been expecting her to act all crazy over him like all the other girls at the school. She laughed to herself, imagining how annoying that must be, and then remembered the room full of people. Her cheeks flushed and she looked at her feet. **

**Yuki had, she noticed, walked up to the teacher and started explaining to her who Kara was. She followed him, feeling the tension of the girls in the front row. **

"**Welcome to our school, Miss Silvers," the teacher said to her with a bright smile. **

**She inclined her head to him as well. "Thank you very much."**

"**You can sit…" he scanned the room. "Next to Kyo Sohma, in the third row." He pointed to a boy with orange hair, slumped in his seat and looking disagreeable. **

**She slid into the seat, not looking at this Kyo person. He, too, was strange in nearly the same way as Yuki. Something in his… presence… just didn't feel right. She'd always been able to read people's emotions and, well, their _feel_, like an aura, almost, very well, sometime uncannily so. _Wait… he did say Sohma. So these two must be related. Strange. Everything about them except for that odd hint in their presence is completely different. _**

**He never tried to be friendly with her, and she was partially glad, knew that she should be fully glad, but was too curious not to want to learn more about him. **

**She barely heard the teacher as he talked about something that sounded like a class trip or some other useless nonsense. She was too busy looking around the room at all of the interesting people there.**

**There was one girl who seemed very nice, not at all selfish, and like she had a secret that she was keeping for someone. A secret that, she was certain, involved the two Sohmas. **

_**Strange. **_

**The girls in the front row, were, she realized, very, very, deep admirers of Yuki. In fact, most of the girls in the class were. A few of them regarded him as just a friend, one of whom had an oddly… electric sense about her. The other was a bit violent, but she cared very much about her friends. The electrical one stared at her oddly the entire time, and then whispered something to the other, who laughed and shook her head. **

_**I came here to make sure that I wouldn't get close enough to anyone to hurt them, and now it seems like there are a million people I want to learn more about. It's going to be a very hard time, I can tell. **_


	2. School and the Shack

**Dark Horizon**

Note: Well, randomperson, you're the only reviewer so far, and I thank you for that! Since I'm writing this anyway for fun, I'll update for you! Who knows, maybe I'll pick up some other readers along the way! If you're there, other readers, please review! LOL! Okay, so, here's the next chapter. I made some changes to chapter one, so if you want to go back and skim it, I don't think there was anything TOO major, just some different lines and a little more beef to it is all. Okay, I'll shut up now!

Chapter Two: School and the Shack

**The bell rang and she jumped nearly three feet in the air from the sound. She heard muffled laughter, and knew that more than half the class found her amusing. **

"**Are you ready to go?" Yuki asked her, appearing from, it seemed, no where. **

_**Strange… I had no idea he was there. Normally, I would have known. **_

**She nodded. "So… it's History next?"**

**He nodded. "This way."**

**She could feel heated glares as she followed him to their next class. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her. "Yuki… why do those girls stare at you like that? Surely they can't _all _have crushes on you?"**

**A little color crept into his cheeks. "Well… actually, they're the 'Prince Yuki' fan club…"**

**Kara bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Prince Yuki?"**

"**It's his nickname," a strange voice said from behind her. **

"**Oh, I see," she said. "I don't think I caught your name."**

"**Right. I'm Arisa Uotani."**

"**And I…" the electrical girl said. "Am Saki Hanajima. You have strange electric signals… stranger, even, than the Sohmas." **

"**Cut it out, Saki, you're scaring her."**

"**Uo, Hana! Sorry it took me so long!"**

"**Not a problem Tohru. We were just introducing ourselves to the Prince's new friend here."**

**Tohru smiled. "Oh hi! I'm Tohru Honda!"**

"**Kara Silvers," she said unnecessarily. **

"**We should hurry to class if we don't want to be late, Miss Honda," Yuki said to Tohru. Kara felt something in the air at that moment and it made her cheeks turn pink. Saki was still staring at her. **

"**Right!" Tohru said with a smile. **

**At that moment, a bowed orange head sulked past them. "What's eating him?" Arisa wondered aloud. **

"**Class?" Kara reminded gently and they all scurried off. **

"**So Miss Silvers, are you having a pleasant first day so far?" Yuki asked her. **

"**Yes. Things here are… nice." She sighed and stared at the ceiling. Why did he have to be so polite? **

"**Here we are," he announced at last, leading the way into another classroom. She recognized the orange head of Kyo Sohma in the last row. **

**This time, she introduced herself, telling Yuki that she was fine and to go sit down. The teacher nodded and told her to sit in the only empty seat, behind Yuki. **

**The rest of that class and the next two passed by smoothly, with no more new people for her to meet, and no more staring from the strange Saki Hanajima. **

**When she went into the girls' bathroom at lunchtime, however, she was ambused by several of the Fan Club girls. **

"**Who do you think you are, prancing into this school and making nice with Prince Yuki?"**

"**Um… I'm sorry, I didn't realize that it was illegal to be shown to class. But you'll have to take that up with the secretary, because it wasn't my choice."**

"**I don't believe you. You just want to steal Prince Yuki's heart."**

**Kara's temper flared at this accusation. "You, my dear girl, are just a hollow, empty follower with no mind or will of your own. All you care about is popularity and your _Prince_ Yuki , who is not made any happier by your constant hounding of anyone who might actually want to be his friend. Tell me, did you treat Tohru Honda in this manner as well?"**

**She stared at her, as did the other two. "That's what I thought. Did it ever occur to you that, in order to win someone's heart… you have to act like a human being and not a fan crazed idiot. It's no wonder he likes Tohru so much. She's half normal."**

**The last bit she hadn't really meant to say out loud. Before any of the girls could answer, she walked out, leaving the blaze of her temper behind. **

**She took her lunch to a lonely table in the corner, hoping to distance herself from the group that she'd accidentally stumbled into a sort of familiarity with. She couldn't let them get any closer to her, or they might get hurt. **

"**Do you mind if we sit with you?" the voice of Tohru Honda said sweetly from beside her.**

**_Curse it, they're here. _"No, not at all," she lied. "Although… I'm sure there are millions of places you'd rather be."**

"**Not at all!"**

**There was a scraping of chairs as her lonely table was joined by Tohru, Arisa, Saki, Yuki, and, to her surprise, Kyo, who was wearing a sour expression, probably, Kara reasoned, because both seats beside Tohru were taken. He was forced to sit in the only open spot, on Kara's other side. **

"**I don't think we've been formally introduced," she tried, hoping to ease the tension, and possibly to scare him away. "I'm Kara Sil-"**

"**Can it," he ordered harshly. **

_**And they said I had a temper. Hmph... he makes me look like a docile rabbit. **_

"**That's not the way to treat a new student, Kyo," Yuki said calmly.**

"**Nobody asked you!"**

**Hatred and jealousy seared from Kyo, and from Yuki, although it was much better controlled on his part. Kara wanted to ask why they hated one another, but knew that it could only lead to far too much familiarity between her and these people. **

"**So… where did you go to school before here?" Tohru asked.**

**The hair on the back of Kara's neck stood up. On no account was she going to tell her about her past. "That doesn't matter."**

"**Oh… okay, then."**

"**She asked you a simple question," Arisa snapped. "What's so hard about answering? There somethin' you don't want us to know?"**

**Kara glared at her. "I don't like to talk about it, is all." **

"**Her past is shrouded in sorrow, Arisa. It makes sense for her to want to avoid the subject," Saki said simply.**

"**What part of town did you move into?" Yuki asked politely.**

"**Um…" Kara started. "I'm not really sure what you'd call it. It's… that way," she said, pointing in the general direction of the shack, deciding that lies could lead only into suspicion and possibly further investigation. **

"**I live in that direction as well," Yuki said.**

"**What're you tryin' to do, tell the whole world where we live so those Fan Club girls can attack you in your sleep or somethin'?" Kyo said, speaking for the first time since he'd told Kara to can it.**

"**The two of you… live in the same house?" Kara asked before she could stop herself, letting curiosity get the best of her again.**

"**The three of us, actually," Tohru said.**

"**Oh." _It must be nice… being able to have friends. Even Kyo fits in better than I ever can, despite his temper, I can tell. The three of them are very close. _**

**Saki was still staring. Kara had the unnerving feeling that she could see right through her. _Maybe that's why her aura feels so strange… maybe she's some kind of psychic. _**

"**Lunch bell is almost over," Yuki said. "It would be a good idea to head to our next class now, Miss Silvers."**

**She nodded and stood, deciding not to say goodbye to the others. The less they liked her, the better. **

"**I'll see you later, Miss Honda," she heard Yuki say before he led her to their next class.**

**The silence between them was painful. Kara longed to ask questions, to learn more, but she kept a firm grip on the bottom of her lip to still the words. She liked Yuki, Tohru, Arisa, and even Kyo and Saki. She didn't want them to get hurt, and therefore she couldn't afford to get to know them any better.**

**Finally the day ended and she gladly headed back to her locker. It took a while, but she managed to open it herself this time. She had just closed it when she heard and felt the approach of Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo. _Why do they have to do this to me?_**

"**I was thinking that, since we're headed in the same direction, we could maybe walk together," Tohru said brightly. **

"**Well… I don't know… I mean…"**

"**Just answer her already so we can get going!" **

**Kara took a deep breath to prevent herself from saying anything she might regret. She could tell that Kyo didn't always mean to be so cruel, and it wasn't a good idea for her to get his temper fired up. There was only one answer if she didn't want to spend her life being hated. It wouldn't hurt, she reasoned, to get a hello every now and then. She just wouldn't ever walk with them again. **

"**Alright, then."**

"**That's great!"**

"**Can we get going now or what?"**

**Tohru kept up a steady stream of conversation, talking mainly to Yuki, since neither Kyo nor Kara seemed very keen to talk. After what seemed like an intolerably long walk, she recognized the worn path to the shack. **

"**I go this way," she said simply, turning onto the path. **

"**That's odd. I didn't think there were any houses in those woods," Yuki said.**

"**Well, you're mistaken. Good bye."**

**She kept walking irritably into the woods. It was none of his business where she lived. **

"**Ah, home," she said wryly, unlocking the padlock she'd secured to the door of the shack, even though anyone who wanted to get in could tap the rotting wood of the hinges. **

**The few things she'd brought with her were set up around the shack, hanging from rusty nails and stacked up along the walls. She didn't have a bed, but instead a few blankets folded neatly on the floor. There was a stream within walking distance, which was where she planned to do her washing and taking her baths. **

**Her parents had been decently wealthy, so money wasn't really a problem. She had a stuffed wallet and a few other hiding places stored with all the cash she'd need for a long time, as long as she played it safe. **

**She pulled out her homework and started on it, trying to distract herself from the bugs that were crawling around her home. **

**Some time later, she heard footsteps in the woods and tensed, ready to show them what happened when you messed with Kara Silvers. She pushed the door open slowly and peered out.**

End note: MWAHAHAHA! Cliffies! I love them, and I'm a bit notorious for them, so you better get used to it! Hope you liked this chapter! Please review!


	3. Promises

**Dark Horizon**

Note:I know this chapter's a little short, but I think you'll get over it. Enjoy and don't forget to review... even though I know you will... (breaks down into sobs) Why won't you review? Okay, sorry about that little episode... onwith the story!(And a thanks to Aspendragon and randomperson for the suggestion of a little tweaking of my original storyline)

Chapter Three: Promises

**She was staring into the face of Yuki Sohma.**

"**I knew there wasn't a house out here," he said. "But I didn't exactly expect this."**

"**Oh… well, you see…"**

"**The last time I found a girl in the woods, she was at least in a tent."**

**Her cheeks colored. "You make it sound like it's happened before."  
**

**He shrugged. **

"**Why… why did you come out here? I don't believe this is just a coincidence."**

"**I wanted to see if you were telling the truth or not. I had a feeling it was not. Did you run away from home?"**

**Her eyes darkened. "It's none of your concern," she said heatedly. **

"**This really isn't safe. That building looks ready to fall down at any minute."**

"**That's a risk I'm willing to take. Now please go away."**

"**I think it would be best if you came with me. I don't know if Shigure will be happy with me for bringing you there, but perhaps you can live with us until you find somewhere… safer to stay."  
**

"**Absolutely not."**

"**Miss Silvers… I cannot in good conscience let you stay here."**

**As if to prove his point, a wolf howled in the distance and the shack gave a resounding creak. **

"**Yuki, I can't come with you. Even if I wanted to… I couldn't. You don't understand…" How could she make him understand without telling him the truth? "Everyone who gets close to me… they get hurt… eventually… they die, even."**

"**Are you trying to get me to believe that you… have some sort of… I don't know… curse?"**

**He spoke the last word with a strange hint of irony that she didn't understand, try as she might to read it in his face. "For lack of a better term… yes. My parents… my aunt and uncle… my grandfather. All of them are gone because of me. Because they cared about me. And my friends were all sick… until I left and stopped talking to them… they got better right away."**

"**Miss Silvers, that's ridiculous. It sounds to me as if you haven't had good luck in the past, and that is all."**

**She fought back her tears. "No… this is too much to be coincidence. I came here to get an education and to keep away from people. You're making that awfully difficult, _Prince _Yuki Sohma. Now please go away."**

**He didn't say anything for the longest time. Kara started to wonder if he was going to say anything at all, and then he walked in to the shack. She followed, not wanting him to see her things. It unnerved her to have a boy in her little hut, the place where she had lived the past few days. **

"**It's even worse on the inside," he noted. "But at least there isn't too much for the two of us to carry."**

"**I already told you I'm not coming with you! I even told you why I'm not, which is more than I wanted to tell anyone."**

"**You can't really want to stay here in the woods all by yourself, waiting for a disaster, can you Miss Silvers?"**

**He looked directly into her eyes when he said it, and his gaze was so powerful that she had to look away. She wanted so badly to have friends, and she couldn't. "Of course I don't," she told him truthfully. "But what I want isn't the point. If I go with you… then you and anyone else in that house will get hurt, possibly even die, because of me. But how about this… Yuki, I promise, that if I see or hear anything strange, or the shack collapses or something, then I'll go with you, okay? The second anything happens, I'll high tail it outta here and find you."**

**He stared at her for a minute, then pointed down the road. "Go that way for about a mile, then at the third road you see, take a left, then a right at the next… after a while of following that path, you'll see the house, and don't worry, you can't miss it. I don't feel right about this… but I guess since you promised that when something bad happens…"**

**Kara smiled. "You shouldn't worry so much about someone you don't even know, Yuki. But that's what makes you special, I guess… to all those fan club girls, at least. And if anything happens, I'll follow your directions, and show up on your doorstep. But, in return… you can't tell anyone where I am, okay?"**

**He hesitated, then said "Alright… but Miss Silvers?"**

"**Hmm?"**

"**Be careful."**

"**I will. Now get going, buster!"**

**She watched him leave, sadness in her eyes. If he kept this behavior up, she'd have to leave. **

**Grabbing her laundry, she headed down the road to a stream, planning to wash some clothes. She found herself looking at about five or six snakes. _Well… this is certainly great timing for that… but I can't let it bring me down. I'll just… wash these tomorrow… yep… _And she walked right back to the shack, panting a little due to her fear of snakes. **

**She'd always been an animal lover, partly since they didn't seem to be affected by her 'curse', but snakes had never been a favorite of hers. She liked cats, birds, mice, rats, and hamsters very much, but snakes… they gave her the creeps, for some reason. **

"**Well, nothing left to do but read for a bit and then go to bed." She yawned and then laughed, remembering how her father always used to yawn after mentioning sleep. She had an uncannily good memory, everyone she knew said so, but she just thought that it was her good sense of observation that allowed her to keep such good tabs on the past. Now that she really thought about it, though… it was a little strange that she could even remember her mother, though very, very vaguely. **

_**I was just a baby, after all… a newborn… and I can still see her face so clearly… I got my eyes from her… although my… unique… hair color, I don't know where that came from. Her hair was blonde and dad's was brown. **_

**With a sigh, she resigned herself to bed early, putting the troublesome thoughts of her past behind. **

End note:Sorry if that was a little long! Anyway, I hope you liked it! Review please!


	4. Snakes

**Dark Horizon**

Note: Sorry this one took so long, but with only 5 reviews for three chapters, I wasn't feeling very motivated. My apologies for that. Anyhow, here is number four, for those of you who are enjoying this. Please review.

Chapter Four: Snakes

**The next morning, she woke stiff and exhausted, as if she'd never even slept at all. Of course, that was, in fact, plausible, considering the fact that she was lying on the ground in a sleeping bag. **

**With a bated little yawn, she pulled on her uniform and threw her bags and books and such into her school bag. She felt apprehensive about seeing Yuki again… she'd said a bit too much to him, she was certain. He'd probably be getting sick in a few months or so… because as she'd grown older, the time it took before people showed the signs of her 'curse' had grown shorter. Now it might not take hardly any time at all. And him carrying that sort of information almost certainly condemned him to being too close. **

**Shaking off her worries, she trekked out of the woods and on the path, and wouldn't you know that her excellent timing led her to nearly collide with Yuki. He stepped expertly out of the way, leaving her to trip and fall flat on her face. **

**Cheeks red, she stood up without help, not that any was exactly forthcoming. "Um… good morning, Yuki… Tohru… Kyo."**

"**Good morning!" Tohru said.**

"**Good morning, Miss Silvers," Yuki said, looking at her with an expression on his face that even she couldn't read. **

"**Whatever. Can we just get goin' already or we're gonna be late!"**

**The rest of the walk was mostly silent, except for Tohru's attempts at starting a conversation, which were generally greeted by either Yuki's polite interest or Kara and Kyo's acknowledging grunts. **

"**Will you be able to find your classes alright today, Miss Silvers?" Yuki asked when they got to school.**

"**Yeah, I'll be fine," she said shortly, a little embarrassed from the night before. **

**When she got to her locker, she found that the lock was just as difficult as before to open, but she managed. Throwing her books in, she rushed off to class, barely making it and sliding into her seat just as the bell rang. She could feel Kyo looking at her with slight curiosity, but she chose to ignore it. **

**That day seemed to be the longest one in her life. Without Yuki to lead her to classes, she found herself getting lost, although she told him she was fine when he asked why it was taking her so long to get to classes. **

**When lunch came around, she tried to sneak off into a corner, but Tohru found her and, with a bright smile sat down.**

"**You don't mind if we sit with you, do you?"**

**She should've said that yes, she did mind, but when she opened her mouth, she found herself saying that no, she didn't mind at all. They sat down, even Kyo, who actually didn't look quite so unhappy to see her. **

"**How has your day been, Miss Silvers?" Yuki asked, sitting in the chair beside her. **

"**Oh… it's been fine," she said softly, not meeting his violet eyes. **

"**That's good."**

**Tohru said something or another, and he started talking with her. Hana and Uo (as she had quickly come to know the two girls) were having their own little conversation, and she and Kyo were left in an uncomfortable silence. **

"**Um… so, Kyo… the er… the lunch is good today."**

"**Whatever."**

**She sighed, giving up, and only afterwards remembered that this was a good thing, that she wasn't supposed to make friends. Still, the conversation going on without her, and the person on her right not speaking made her feel very alone.**

**Finally, lunch was over and she could head to her next class; PE. She had never been extremely athletic, but she still found herself exhilarated from running in the brisk air. After that class, she felt a little better, although now beginning to wonder what sort of a life was in store for her.**

**A life of loneliness, unable to get close to anyone because it would only lead to their suffering, and then, through that, her own. What made it all the worse was, that above needing friends, it had been one of her childhood dreams to fall madly in love. She wanted to feel what it was like to love, what it was like to kiss someone and feel that they made her whole. And that was something she could never have. The guilt of such a person's death or serious illness on her shoulders was not one that she would be easily capable of bearing. She wouldn't call herself strong, because it was not the truth. She was just a coward, really, running away from her past and life itself. So why was it that the more she ran, the more afraid she felt? **

**When the school day ended, she felt even more tired and unhappy than when she'd first awaken in a damp, dreary hut with creaks in her neck from the hard floor. It wasn't physical discomfort that now wore her out, however, but the simple stress and pressures that being Kara Silvers had involved since she'd come to realize her 'curse'. **

_**I wish I could be someone, anyone, else. Anything has got to be better than this. At least in real tragedy… there is always some solace to be found in that it was not your fault… or that you learned from it and can move on… and the people you love are there for you… but the people I love, they're all dead. I have no one left. Even my cat died, although that was probably from age. **_

**She didn't even see Tohru, Yuki and Kyo when they came up behind her. She also had been standing spaced out by her locker without putting anything in or taking anything out, so she was quite a sight for the three. **

"**You just gonna stand there all day?"  
**

**She jumped a little, more from the sound of Kyo's voice than what he was saying. After all, she wasn't used to it, since he refused to carry on any sort of conversation with her. **

"**Oh… whoops… guess I spaced out! You guys didn't have to wait for me."**

"**We've only been here for a little while," Yuki said.**

"**Yeah, we just got here," Tohru added needlessly.**

**She threw her things into her locker and pulled out the bag quicker than she'd have thought possible. This was bad… very bad. They wouldn't go away, and she didn't have the heart to be mean. But Yuki… Yuki should be afraid, after what she'd told him. And yet he seemed perfectly calm. **

**The walk proceeded about the same way it had last time. Tohru talked, Yuki replied, and Kara and Kyo just listened. It didn't seem to take so long this time, and before she knew it, there was the path to her little shack. "See you later, Yuki, Kyo, Tohru," she said. She felt, more than saw, Yuki's disapproval, but found it easier to pretend that everything was just peachy. **

**The shack was looking even more pathetic now that she knew someone knew that she was living there. Because she knew, though her conviction not to let anyone get her prevented her from admitting to it, that Yuki was right. This was not a good place for her to be living. **

**She threw her backpack cruelly onto the floor and pulled a book out of it. Reading was her favorite pastime, mainly because it took her mind off other, less pleasant, things. This particular novel, a fantasy with only the slightest hints at love, and featuring a loner as the main character, was perfect for escaping from the sorry truth that her life had become. **

**After a few hours, she finished it, and could no longer ignore her homework or her dirty hair and clothes. Scared as she was of going back to the stream, she had no other choice. She very well couldn't go to school smelling like the woods and her musty old shack, nor could she wear dirty clothes. **

"**Time to face the music… or more accurately, the colony of snakes," she muttered to herself, once again picking up her clothes. **

**Luckily, the snakes were not there. She sighed with relief, but chose nonetheless to wash the clothes first and herself later, only after she was sure there were absolutely no snakes near or in the water. **

**Her shirts, pants, fancy clothes, and other garments hanging safely on a makeshift clothesline, Kara took one last look around before taking off her clothes and settling into the stream to take her bath. **

**The cool water seemed to wash her troubles away, and it felt great to have a moment without worries or responsibility. But then, of course, she heard a rustling in the bushes and saw a white snake staring straight at her. For the strangest reason, she felt compelled to cover herself up before getting out of the water. Something about that snake was not normal. And then, she ran, screaming, back to the shack, leaving her clothes to dry. **

"**Snakes… I hate snakes," she rasped as she slammed the door. "Something about that one seemed even more abnormal than usual, though… the way it stared at me like that. It felt… almost human, too… I don't know… it reminded me a little of Yuki, but at the same time completely different. And now I'm talking to myself."**

**She sighed and tucked her homework away. It wasn't really all that late, but there was nothing left for her to do, it would seem, except sleep. **

"**I know! I'll head out to the grocery, and maybe a book store!"**

**The prospect of books always cheered her up. But she knew she needed to be careful with her money if it was going to last. Still, a few more paperback novels wouldn't hurt anyone. **

**She got lost about five times on the way to the grocery, but eventually she got there and headed straight for the cereal isle. She didn't have a stove, so naturally, it would be only dry cereal for her. Still, going out to eat for supper and skipping breakfast was no way to live. **

**Humming as she walked down the street, she bumped carelessly into a few people, whom she blissfully ignored, until she heard a strange sound with one of them and looked up. Tohru was holding the cutest little white rat. **

"**Aww… how cute!" she exclaimed before catching herself. "That is… um… Hello, Tohru."**

"**Hi, Kara," she said, looking a little flustered. Kara sensed that something was bothering her. Some secret had come to close to being revealed. **

"**But what are you doing walking around with a rat and…" she noticed some clothes in her arms that screamed memories of Yuki. "…Yuki's clothes."**

"**Um, well, you see… this is my pet rat, and um… I thought he might want some fresh air."**

**A lie. But Kara didn't call it. Doing so would be asking for the truth, and Tohru telling the truth signified trust, which lead to friendship, which of course she couldn't have. "And… Yuki's clothes?"**

"**I'm, um, getting them drycleaned."**

**Another lie. Something was clearly going on. "Oh."**

"**Well, it was nice to see you, but I really should be going, I have a lot of work to do and-"**

"**Alright. Don't let me keep you."**

**She watched her go, feeling saddened by the lies, although she knew it should have made her happy. **

"**Well, on to the bookstore, no worries!" she chimed to herself, earning wary stares from the passerby. Only this time, even the smell of freshly printed books could not stop the thoughts racing through her head. **

End note: Hope you liked it! Click the review button and leave me one before you go! Thanks much!


	5. Breaking Point

**Dark Horizon**

Note: Sorry that it's taken so long, but I hope you enjoy this next chapter of Dark Horizon! Review it for me, okay?

Chapter Five: Breaking Point

**At last night came, and she left the bookstore to walk home in the dark night. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea… staying out this late… _she thought, envisioning several unpleasant circumstances for being alone in the woods this late. As luck would have it, she only ran into a few animals, which, besides nearly giving her a heart attack, did no harm. The shack looked like heaven compared to the jumpiness of the woods. **

**Still, as she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but wish she was somewhere else… somewhere warm and friendly… somewhere surrounded by friends. The friends she could never have again. **

"_**Kara, your mommy isn't here anymore. I know you loved her very much, and so did I, but she had to leave us. She went to a better, happier place in the sky. But you still have your Daddy."**_

_**Although she was young, and could not yet speak, the question in Kara's eyes was clear. **_

"_**And I'm not going anywhere any time soon."**_

_**If by anytime soon, he meant not anytime in the next few years, then he was right. But he'd meant he wanted to be there for her for a very long time. He'd wanted to see her grow into a young woman, see her mature, make friends, and go to her first prom, and all the other moments parents and children are supposed to share. **_

"_**They say that everyone around her gets sick… even her friends… I'm not taking a girl like that into my house."**_

"_**Yeah… and look at her… made of stone. Only a child, and yet not shedding a single tear at her father's funeral."**_

_**But Kara Silvers had used up all her tears. And she was trying to be strong, trying to understand. **_

"_**She's lucky her grandfather is willing to take her in… cursed child that she is… guess he figures he shouldn't burden us younger folks with early death."**_

_**They thought she hadn't heard. They sat there and smiled in her direction, but she knew what they were saying about her. And that's when she first began to wonder… if maybe she was cursed. **_

**Kara shot straight up like a bullet, sweat beaded on her forehead and soaking her sleeping bag. Memories like that one often haunted her sleep, but the repetition didn't make them any less painful. **

"**Why must I remember these things? Every day and every night… the past is always there to haunt me. And it isn't just the things that people said and did… but what they were really thinking and feeling as well… How is that I know and remember so much? And why… why can't I forget?"**

**Naturally, there was no one there to answer her questions. No one had ever be able to do that. But still… having someone next to her trying to do so would have made her feel a whole lot better. **

**Shaking off those thoughts, she glanced at the clock to see that it was still early. She would never get back to sleep, though, so she tidied up the shack, her backpack, her homework and herself. With nothing left to tidy, she made herself a bowl of dry cereal and sat staring at it. It was dreary when she looked back at all of the things her grandfather, and her father before him, had prepared. And she'd just been learning to cook when grandfather died. Now it would seem that she was doomed to a life of meals that came in a box. **

**With a sigh, she ate it, knowing that she needed fuel for her school day. It tasted like, well, cereal. She didn't like it one bit, but maybe she was just being stubborn. **

"**Time to head out," she said, even though it was still a bit early to leave. She'd just walk really slow, and besides… she could use the extra time figuring out her locker. **

**It was strange, being all alone in the school hallway where she had first met Yuki, Hana, and Uo. It seemed so very empty without the students there.**

_**This is the life that I have chosen. This is the only way that I can protect the ones I have come to care fort, or will come to care for in the future. I know that it will be harder, even, than I first thought, but… isn't it harder to watch the people I know and love hurt because of me? Because I was stupid enough to hope that this time, it might be different? If only they weren't trying so hard… if only they were all cruel hearted… and if only I wasn't so curious about the strange presences of Yuki and Kyo Sohma. And I'll admit… I have let myself grow quite fond of Yuki… he's been so nice to me… he even offered me, a strange girl who he barely knows, a place to stay. **_

**She finally pulled the locker open and set her bag inside it, pulling out the things she needed for her first few classes. **

_**If this is the best thing for everyone… then why has it left me so empty inside? **_

"**Good morning, Miss Silvers," Yuki Sohma said from behind her. **

"**You keep sneaking up on me, Yuki," she said softly with a sigh. She was not in the mood to pretend to be happy, or deny that she wasn't like on so many other occasions. Today, she was upset, and it was going to have to show. She hadn't gotten enough sleep for that kind of denial and acting. **

"**Are you not feeling well?"**

"**Does it look like I'm feeling well?" she snapped. "I didn't get very much sleep, I'm miserable, my world has crashed and burned. Are you happy now?"**

"**Uh… Why would that-"**

**She sighed again and slammed her locker door shut. "Please leave me alone now, Yuki," she begged. **

**Confused, he left, leaving her alone to cool off and regret her actions, even though they should have made her happy. If she could keep it up, Yuki was safe. **

_**And so my temper's back. I had wondered where it'd run off to. And he didn't even make fun of me. Apparently lack of sleep has returned me to normal. **_

**She'd always had a bit of an anger management problem, linked most likely to the hardships she'd gone through so very early in life. Sometimes, she just snapped, and yelled at whoever dared to talk to her. But generally, that kind of rage came from being made fun of, or right after she'd had a particularly difficult time of it, whether at school or from the illness of everyone she cared for. **

_**Seeing Yuki… when he snuck up on me like that… all cheery and indifferent… It made me realize how much I appreciate his being here. And I guess… I guess I couldn't bear to think about that… Because if I do… he'll get hurt. And Tohru, Hana, Uo, the fan club girls… even Kyo… they'd all be angry with me for that… not that it matters, since they too would be sick… maybe even dead. **_

"**Do you see what you're doing?" she asked herself quietly. "Don't you understand what will happen if you let yourself care about these people?"**

**She could feel hot tears stinging her cheeks. _I'm going to run_,she realized just a moment before she dropped her books in the hall and ran back out the door. _I can't face them today… but I don't think I can face those snakes either… _**

**She didn't really know where her feet were taking her, where her numb mind would lead them… all she knew was that the pain was suddenly unbearable. **

_**I've spent all this time trying to be strong… when really I was so afraid… I've been in denial for so long I've made the pain stronger… and now the walls are crumbling down around me. **_

……………………………

"_**Get up, Kara. Now is not the time to give up." **_

"_**But… I can't take this anymore… all of it… it hurts me too much, Grandpa."**_

"_**Kara Silvers, your father did not raise you to be a quitter. And even though he is gone, you still have me, and the memories of both of the parents who loved you so much."**_

"_**Grandpa… they died because of me… didn't they?"**_

"_**I don't believe in curses, Kara."**_

"_**But Grandpa… both of them… and then, my friends… you saw how sick they were."**_

_**He sighed and put a hand to his forehead, and that was when the little girl knew… he was afraid. Of her. Of dying. Of the idea of leaving this earth, and the granddaughter he had come to love.**_

_**She could have run away then, but her grandfather's words… they told her to keep going, to keep pretending that everything was all right. And up to the day he died, she had gone on believing.**_

……………………………

"**Why did you tell me those things? That I shouldn't give up? That it wasn't my fault they were gone?" **

**She was now sitting in the dirt somewhere. Her clothes were torn and dirty, her eyes were surrounded by the wetness of tears that had caught dirt from the air and clung to her face. The thing was, she just couldn't muster the strength to care.**

_**I truly am alone. And isn't that what I wanted?**_

"**Was it all for nothing? Did I come here just to run away again? WHY AM I HERE?" **

**As if to complete her breakdown, rain started to fall from the sky, pounding in heavy droplets onto her body, soaking her through to the bone. **

**And then… she fell asleep, face down in the dirt, too exhausted by her own sadness , and of course the lack of sleep from the night before, even to move out of the path. **

…………………………………

"**Oh my my… there appears to be a girl lying in my way… whatever shall I do?"**

**Kara heard the voice but didn't open her eyes. It was so peaceful laying face down in the dirt… why should she get up and face reality again? Whoever the voice belonged to poked her. **

"**Are you awake? Better yet, are you even alive?"**

**Meeting this person, clearly male, about twenty-seven or so, could be an interesting experience. Now that she had gotten more sleep, she was feeling a bit more reasonable. She opened one eye and sat up, staring into the face of, you guessed it, a man around the age of twenty seven. **

"**Oh, good, you're alive. For a minute there, I was concerned that there might have been a murder on my property."**

"**I apologize… I guess I tripped and, well you can guess the rest," she lied quickly. **

"**Why don't you follow me and we'll get you all fixed up."**

"**No, I'll be fine." Unfortunately, her leg chose that moment to cave in, landing her in the mud. **

"**I doubt that. In my opinion, a young woman such as yourself should be thrilled by such hospitality coming from a-"**

"**Alright, I'll come with you… just don't ever finish that sentence," she said, trying at good humor to make herself seem less like a madwoman. She was feeling better now, and optimistic enough to know that antagonizing the locals was not a good idea. **

"**Ah, she has a sense of humor! Follow me, then."**

End note: There's that for now. Please, please, please review!


	6. The Sohma Household

**Dark Horizon**

Note: OMG! There were two reviews for the last chappie! I'm so happy! ((hugs reviewers)) You guys are the best! Well, here you go, then, all... hope you like chapter 6!

Chapter Six: The Sohma Household

**She stared at him, following like he had asked. _He's a Sohma. _She knew he was. His aura had that same oddly dark feeling as Yuki and Kyo's did. But, since she couldn't very well come out and say that she knew this, she took a different route. **

"**Um… thank you for that. You could have just left my lying in the mud, but you chose to help me. Who knows how long I could have been there? I could have gotten ill. But still… who exactly are you?"**

"**Oh, of course, silly me! Introductions! I'm Shigure Sohma."**

"**You're related to Yuki and Kyo, then?"**

**He nodded. "They're my cousins, though that can be a mixed blessing at times. You go to their school, I assume?" **

"**Yes."**

**He had been expecting a name to be included in her response. _Strange girl, this one. But I wonder… how she looks when she's not covered in mud? _**

"**Ah, here we are! My wonderful home!"**

**She was staring at a rather large house that numbed her mind just looking at it. "It's huge."**

"**Oh, is it? To me it has always been home, and that is all."**

**_Okay, just when I thought the Sohma family couldn't get any weirder… they throw this nut case at me. And now he's bringing me to his house… this is bad… I shouldn't have let him talk me into this… Now I'm going to have to leave town. And I had hoped to stay here for a while. _**

"**Thanks very much for your hospitality, but I'll have to be going soon."**

"**Not that dirty you aren't. And shouldn't a young high school student like yourself be in school right now?"**

"**I… wasn't feeling well… so I… left."**

"**I see. Now, through there's the shower, I'll take those for you," he said, reaching out as if to take her dirty clothes.**

**She shrank back. "I think I'll be keeping these, thank you," she said, stepping into the room and firmly closing the door. _What kind of sick minded… oh, never mind it. I'll only be here a while longer anyway. But nice, warm water will feel really good… and getting all this mud off… _**

**Relaxing for a little while helped her to regain the rest of her calm. _I really lost it back there… running away from school, blowing up at Yuki. He probably hates me now. I guess that's a good thing, but… I don't know… something about him, and Kyo and even Tohru felt… nice. If things were different… if I wasn't, well, me… then I might have had a home here. _**

"**How is everything in there?" Shigure called. **

"**Fine," she said back in a barely audible tone. He'd just disrupted her peace, and now she was feeling almost as depressed as before. She didn't want to leave. She liked this place, and this school, and these people. **

"**Just call me if you need anything!"**

**_Oh yeah, I'll do that… while I'm standing here naked! _"Ok, thank you very much."**

**After a little while longer, she was once again clean, even more so this time, and stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping a towel around herself at once. Maybe she was still a little shaken up from the snakes, or maybe it was Shigure. **

"**Yuki, Kyo and Tohru should be back soon," he said when she stepped out of the bathroom. **

"**Um… I can't exactly stand around in a towel all day… if it isn't too much trouble… some clothes, please?"**

**She was almost certain that she saw him pout, but then he rushed off and returned with some clothes that looked about a size or two too big for her. **

"**I think Tohru's clothes would be too small for you, so I brought you Yuki's instead!"**

**She colored a little, thinking about Yuki. "Oh, thank you… I'll just go back in there and…"**

**And she did go back in there and change. She felt ridiculous wearing a boy's clothes, and Yuki's nonetheless. _Well… it's official… he's never going to forgive me… after this morning, and now I've kidnapped his clothes… I guess I should be glad that it's turning out this way. _**

"**I knew you'd be adorable when you weren't all muddy!" Shigure announced, beaming at her. **

"**Thanks… I think. Are you sure that Yuki will be… okay with me borrowing these?"**

"**Oh, don't worry about him… However shall we entertain ourselves while the youngsters are away?"**

"**Eh…" **

"**Shigure! We're home!"**

**_Thanks goodness! _Kara thought. **

**_Aww… they're spoiling all my fun! _Shigure mentally whined. **

"**Hello Yuki, Kyo, Tohru! Come in here, there's someone you might want to-"**

"**Miss Silvers… what are you doing here?"**

"**Oh… it's sort of a long story, Yuki…" she trailed, trying to think of a way to put it lightly and escape attention. **

"**I found her in the woods, collapsed in the mud."**

**_Well, that wasn't blunt or anything… _"I, um… I wasn't feeling so good… I'm sorry for before, by the way… but I decided I needed to take the day off… get some fresh air. And then… I, er, tripped."**

"**And Shigure found you?"**

"**Um, yes… I guess I just got lucky…" _Or unfortunate, as it may better be put. _**

"**What are you doing here? Why'd you invite her in, Shigure?" Kyo grumbled, adding a few less polite things under his breath. **

"**Tsk Tsk, Kyo… where is your sense of hospitality? I couldn't possibly leave her all wet and dirty in the middle of the woods."**

"**Why not?"**

"**Because it's rude, honestly you stupid cat, shouldn't you have picked up on that by now?"**

"**That's none of your business you-"**

"**Yuki, Kyo, not in front of our guest, whose name, might I add, I still do not know."**

**Kara blushed. She hadn't realized that she hadn't even introduced herself. Apparently having a lot of mood swings affects a person's memory. "Sorry about that… like I said, I wasn't feeling well… I'm Kara Silvers."**

"**It's a pleasure to meet you, Kara."**

**Kyo, Kara noticed, had already sulked off, and Tohru had gone to the kitchen. She was alone with Yuki and Shigure. **

"**Are those…?"**

"**Oh, yeah… Shigure said it'd be okay… My uniform is a bit of a wreck right now…"**

"**It's quite alright. I was concerned when you disappeared earlier… you were acting a bit strange… are you sure you're okay now?"**

"**Just ignore me, Yuki, by all means," Shigure grumbled before disappearing to who knows where.**

**Yuki did that, and so did Kara.**

"**I'm sorry about that… I had a bit of a break down back there… lack of sleep, I guess… I didn't mean to be so rude to you, after you've been so kind to me… it's just… well, you know what I told you before?" **

"**Yes."**

**She had decided that confiding in him would make her feel much better and, since she was going to leave anyway, do him no permanent damage. "I guess it really bothers me that you… you have so many friends and… you don't have to be afraid that they'll get hurt… I know it's silly, but… I'm a little jealous of you, Yuki. You've got such wonderful friends, and I have… a little shack in the woods and strange snakes to keep me company."**

"**Jealous? Of me?"**

"**Is it really so hard to believe?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes. No one had talked to her for this long in such a long time. No one had taken an interest… most of them were scared. "You've got so many people who care about you… and, unlike myself, you don't have to know that a day will come when they're sick, or dead, because of you."**

"**Miss Silvers… I honestly do not think that you're cursed."**

**She sniffed and looked away. "I'm sorry… I lost it there again. Just forget I said it."**

"**Once again, I'd like to extend the offer that you stay here, with us."**

"**I can't, Yuki. You know that. Do you _want _to get sick? Do you want _Tohru_ to get sick? And Kyo… well, I guess you just might want him sick… but that's beside the point."**

"**Miss Silvers, you did promise me you would stay here if anything bad happened."**

"**Oh, this isn't so bad…"**

"**You're upset, and you shouldn't have to face that alone. Now why don't we go and get your things?"**

**_I have to leave this place… I'll go tonight… but I guess letting him think he's done me a favor wouldn't hurt. _"Okay… but Yuki… there has never been an exception to my… curse."**

"**That's a chance that, for the time being, at least until you prove that what you say is true, I am willing to take."**

**She was a little touched by his selflessness, but then was it really so selfless? _Maybe the ones we leave behind suffer more than us when we go… maybe it's easy for him to say that because he won't have to live with the guilt like I would… and maybe, it's easier for me to run away than to live with that guilt. I didn't want to have to find another new town, one that hasn't heard of the strange sickness in the old one, but that's the only choice I have left. I'll go with him for now… but the first chance I get, I'm out of here._**

End note: Hope you liked it! Review for me, please!


	7. Cats, Rats, and Leeks

**Dark Horizon**

Note:Well, this is the seventh chapter, obviously… and I've just started school, so updates my be a little slower now. And, those of you wondering about the pairings… I shall not reveal my secrets… for they are an author's greatest weapon ((mysterious sound effects in background)). So if you wanna know, then stayed tuned. Enjoy the seventh chapter! Don't forget to review!

Chapter Seven: Cats, Rats, and Leeks (I know, so very original of me…)

**It didn't take very long for them to reach the shack, but the silence of that walk had nearly driven Kara insane. **

**Opening up the door, she packed her things quickly back into their bags, which they'd barely been removed from. She hoisted the largest bag onto her shoulders and reached down to pick up the two smaller ones, but Yuki already had them. **

"**You don't have to carry those," she told him.**

"**It's no trouble." **

**She got the feeling that he'd said that before. Finally, it slid into place. "Tohru," she said triumphantly. "The other girl you found in the woods is Tohru."**

"**That's very keen of you to pick up on so quickly."**

"**And she still lives with you?"**

"**She's our housekeeper," he said simply, as if it explained everything.**

"**Funny… I wouldn't think anyone would be able to handle that Kyo's temper for very long."**

**His face tightened. "Miss Honda is… special… that way."**

**_He likes her. I mean, really likes her. No wonder the fan club girls are unhappy. _"I see," she said softly. "If you've known her for as long as it would seem… why do you still call her by her last name?"**

**Yuki's cheeks gained a little blush, barely noticeable, but present all the same. He didn't answer.**

**By now, she figured she could say essentially anything to him she wanted to, since she was going to leave soon anyway. She might as well ease her curiosity before then. "You're so polite. It's easy to see why all those fan club girls worship the ground you walk on, the way you talk. Since you don't like it, I really can't see why you keep up all the kind words. Nobody feels nice all the time, I would know."**

**Again, he chose not to respond for a long time. Then he said "I guess I just want to be accepted."**

"**And they wouldn't accept you if you were… I don't know… yourself, for once?"**

"**You certainly seem more willing to ask questions today."**

"**I guess that was a little rude of me. I have a bit of a problem now a days of wanting to tell my whole life story to anyone I meet, but since I can't, I turn to learning theirs instead, I guess. Call it the downfall of loneliness; being a little _too_ friendly."**

"**I wouldn't mind hearing what you have to say."**

**Kara laughed. "Please. You really shouldn't get yourself into situations like these. When you don't want to hear something, tell the person. Not everyone is as good with reading people as I am." She turned bright red. She hadn't meant to say that. Why did he have to be so easy to talk to? **

**She didn't say anything else the rest of the way, even though she had to bite her tongue to do so. **

**When they returned, Yuki explained to Shigure what he had in mind. Shigure agreed, with nothing more than a "I will have to tell Akito sooner or later, but for now, she can stay."**

"**Why're you lettin' another girl stay here?"**

**Because she was living in a run down shed in the woods."  
**

**Kara stood red-faced and watched Kyo, who was looking like he might explode from anger. She found the look on his face incredibly funny and fought not to laugh. **

"**What're you starin' at?"**

"**Your expression just there… it was hilarious," she said quietly, still trying not to laugh. **

"**Oh yeah, you think that's funny?" He threw his fist at her and she put her hand up to catch it, as she'd been taught. He was strong, but she was just able to stop the punch. **

"**What the-"**

"**Kyo! What's gotten into you?"**

"**Aw, forget it!" He turned and ran off again.**

"**That was a nice catch, Kara," Shigure noted. "You know martial arts?"**

**She nodded. "I trained with several different masters, depending on the town I was living in at the time. Since I was four," she added as an afterthought. "Kyo is very good," she noted.**

"**So it would appear," Yuki said dryly. **

"**Well, Yuki has told me of your dilemma, and if Tohru agrees, you can share her room for the time being."**

**Just then, Tohru came out from the kitchen. **

"**Tohru!" Shigure exclaimed. "Just the girl I needed to see. Would you mind if Kara shared you room for a while?"**

"**Oh, not at all! It is your house, after all!"**

"**Good then, it's settled," Yuki said, going up the stairs with the bags. Kara guessed that she ought to follow. She could hear Tohru's footsteps behind her. **

"**It's huge!" Kara exclaimed, being used to small rooms. Then she caught herself and blushed. **

"**You mean the bed or the room?" Tohru asked.**

"**Both!"**

**Yuki smiled. "Compared to where you were living, I'd have to agree." He set her bags neatly in the corner. "Miss Honda, I believe you said there was some shopping you needed to do?"**

"**Oh right, the shopping! I completely forgot!" She rushed down the stairs. **

"**I was planning on going with her," Yuki said, turning to her. "Do you mind, Miss Silvers?"**

"**No… you go ahead." As soon as he left, she realized that meant being stuck in a house with the strange Shigure and Kyo. "If I just hide up here, I should be fine…" she told herself. **

"**What are you hiding from, exactly? Should I be concerned?"**

**Since she couldn't rightly say 'you', she instead settled on "Kyo."**

**Shigure laughed. "He can be a little frightening when you first meet him, but he's harmless."**

**She was about to say that she doubted it, but she decided on simply nodding instead. Maybe if she didn't talk to him, he'd go away. **

"**Let me help you unpack."**

**So much for that idea. "Alright…"**

**Since she didn't really own that much, it didn't take long for the two of them to put everything in acceptable places. In fact, they were finished long before Tohru and Yuki got back from the store, and Kara got some time to plan her escape. **

_**Now… if I go while everyone's sleeping, then I'll be able to get away… but should I leave a note or just high tail it outta here? **_

**While she was thinking, she walked aimlessly back a forth, until she couldn't take it anymore. _I need to go somewhere quiet… somewhere that I can be alone. _Spotting a ladder from her window, she decided that the roof would do nicely. **

……………………

**Meanwhile, Kyo was sulking, not on the roof, but by taking a walk to who knows where. Unfortunately, a random teenage girl was also taking a walk to who knows where, but her destination was in the opposite direction of his. As you might have guessed, they collided and Kyo transformed. Luckily, she wasn't paying attention and didn't notice, except that she must have run into something. **

**Since he was already in a bad mood, Kyo took it badly that he'd been careless enough to run into a girl like that. So, naturally, he headed to his favorite place to sulk; the roof.**

……………………

**Kara was busy missing her pet cat. She'd discovered that animals weren't affected by her 'curse' early on, and she'd had a pet cat named Tabby since she was very little. Over the years, Tabby had grown to be her only steady confidant. And now, Tabby was dead. Now there was no one to talk to… no one but herself who held all the memories of the dark past. She huffed and lay flat on her back, staring at the darkened sky. **

_**I guess it's best that I just disappear without a trace… just up and vanish. Only, knowing Yuki and Tohru, they'd try to find me. They might even worry. I suppose Yuki would figure it out eventually, but… **_

**A rustling snapped her back to reality. Standing there, staring at her, was an orange cat. She grinned and reached out to rub its ears, not knowing that it was Kyo Sohma. **

**_Aw man, what do I do know? _Kyo thought frantically. _I can't let her see me turn back… but I'm going to soon and I don't think she's gonna let me get outta here that easily. _**

**He was right. "Hey there kitty, you seem upset… but I guess things are easier for you than they are for me, right? What's your problem? Lost a good mouse in the woods? Or maybe… you ran away from home." She smiled and continued petting Kyo. "I'm going to have to run, too. Just not from a home. I'll probably never have one of those."**

_**What the heck is she talkin' about? Well, it ain't my problem… but how am I supposed to keep from changing back? I guess I'm gonna have to… **_

**He jumped into her lap and purred. She smiled and put her arms around him. "I just love cats," she told him. "I guess I love just about any animal, really… because I don't want to be alone, and them being around means I don't have to."**

_**This sucks. How do I get out of here? **_

**Tears glistened on her eyelashes and the smile faded. "Because it's my biggest fear… that I won't ever get to fall in love… get to share in that most precious part of life… because of this… because of who I am… Anyone I get close to will die. So how can I love, without losing that person?"**

**Kyo was a bit intrigued now, although he'd never admit it. His embarrassment faded just a little bit behind his interest. **

"**Have you ever read one of those books… where you just know the person couldn't have gotten through their trials without their friends, family, and even their boyfriend or husband helping them along? Of course you haven't. But… I have. And… it scares me. It scares me because now, I can see it. Yuki, Tohru, Shigure and even Kyo… they might have been those people to me. I don't have any family, not a real one, but I think they could almost be a replacement in my heart. And leaving them… it hurts so bad I can't even muster the strength to think it through properly."**

**He started to say something, anything that would make her stop crying so much (it was getting him wet, for one thing) but then he remembered that she thought he was just a cat, and cats couldn't talk. **

"**Well, thanks for hearing me out," she told him. "I needed a good cry. But now… I think I'll go and pack. Tonight's as good a time as any, especially if I don't want them all getting sick."**

**For some reason, he felt the need to make her stay. It just seemed wrong for her to be alone. He probably felt bad for her because she reminded him of his own troubles as the Cat of the zodiac. Whatever the reason, he put a paw on her leg, as if to say 'stay'. **

**She stood up, shaking her head. "I can't stay here, kitty, even if I wanted to."**

**She hopped off the roof with lightning speed and headed to the room she was to share with Tohru. **

**Sighing, she looked around her at the room, which showed every sign of being inhabited by a teenage girl, except for the character messiness. Now, Kara's things were resting there as well. Several books were stacked nearly to the ceiling in one corner, and her clothes were visible in the closet, which she and Shigure had left open out of carelessness. And the most precious things that Kara owned, aside from the silver locket that had once belonged to her mother that hung around her neck, a photograph of her parents and her grandfather's favorite hat, were resting atop the stacked suitcases. **

**She picked up the hat and pressed it to her chest, saddened by the memory of her grandfather, but happy nonetheless to be able to hold this reminder of him near. **

"**These are the things that I'll always have here for me," she told herself soothingly. "No matter what happens, I'll have these three things to remind me of my life as it should have been."**

"**Um, Miss Silvers?"**

**She jumped a little and dropped the hat. Her hand still rested on the locket. "Yes?"**

"**Dinner is ready."**

"**Okay." **

**She followed him down the stairs, trying not to think about the last dinner she'd had in the company of friends and family. It had been the day before Grandfather had died. Her two best friends were over for a little sleepover. The three girls and her grandpa had eaten together, laughing and smiling, not aware of what changes to their lives the next day would bring. **

"**This food is amazing, Miss Honda. Is it a new recipe?"  
**

"**Yes. I found it in a magazine."**

"**It's wonderful."**

"**I have to agree with Yuki, Tohru. This meal is splendid."**

"**Will you two shut up and just eat it already?" Kyo snapped. **

**Kara noticed that his plate didn't include the leeks that everyone else's had in abundance. **

**Meanwhile, in a secret location, evil brews its latest scheme… **

"_**She has found others. This must be rectified if we are to meet our goal."**_

"_**Well, sire, there seems to be an abundance of leeks in the household she is staying in, if I am indeed sensing it properly. My powers have been limited as of late…"**_

"_**She grows stronger even as we speak. Her need for companionship drives her to subconsciously blot us out. But fear not… these will be the last to go before she breaks. I can sense the weakness in her even now."**_

"_**And when she loses all hope, we will be there."**_

"_**Of course. Our plan cannot fail. Kara Silvers will be our next queen… my queen. We shall rule together."**_

"_**And from her power, we will draw all that we need to control the minds of all the powerless humans on this planet."**_

"_**But first, we must curse the leeks, so that all that pass through the lips of any non-psychic will taint their bodies and eventually blot out their life force."  
**_

"_**Yes, sire, first the leeks."**_

"_**Get on it. I tire of the long process, and you do not need my great power for so simple a task."**_

"_**Of course, sire. Right away, I shall tell the others, and we shall do it once more."**_

"_**Once more… that is all it will take… that is all."**_

End note: Well, there you have it, chapter seven. I know the Kyo thing was a tiny bit of a stretch, and a little OOC, I suppose, but work with me here, 'kay?


	8. Chapter 8

**Dark Horizon**

Note: OMG, there are SO MANY reviews… I'm so happy I think I'll write non-stop for a little while! ((hugs her reviewers)) You guys are the best! Any way, I've gotten more pestering about pairings, so I'll give you guys a little hint, I'm a HUGE fan of love triangles, although in my case they generally get even more complicated than three people. And… unrequited love can be very painful to the soul. That is all I shall tell you. ((grins mischievously)) Enjoy this chapter everyone!

**That night, Kara did not go to sleep when the others did. Instead, she stayed up, waiting, watching, and listening. Finally, all was silent, and the others had at last fallen asleep. Now was the time to go. **

**But she did not want to. _Maybe… I'm weak… because I can't find the strength to go without tears… maybe… I'm just not strong enough to do what I must with full understanding… maybe… I want to stay…_**

**Her hand hovered over the last bag, as if waiting for someone to stop her from picking it up. The only sound was Tohru's calm breathing in the bed. She wrapped her hand around the handle and lifted it up, careful not to make a sound. **

_**This… is goodbye… Tohru… Yuki… Kyo… even Shigure. I regret that things… could not have been different, but this… this is goodbye. **_

**Everything was in order. Her bags were packed, the household was slumbering, unaware, in their rooms. And she was dressed once again for travel. Everything was set… and yet… **

**She stood in the doorway, looking back at the table where she'd shared a few pleasant meals with the Sohmas. For just a moment, that night, she'd almost felt as if she belonged. And then… **

"_**It was because of her… that girl… I know it was. The doctors say he was completely healthy… that he had a long time of life ahead of him. Only, his heart, his very life force, just… stopped"**_

"_**That child is cursed. I will not take her in to my house, to kill my family… no, she will not come to me."**_

"_**I'm not taking her."**_

"_**Neither am I."**_

"_**Not me."**_

"_**Then… there is not place for her. No place at all."**_

"_**And that's how it should be."**_

**She shook her head and turned sharply, sliding the door gently into place as she left. **

_**I can't stay here… even though I may want to. **_

**The forest was silent, the moon a bright, pearlescent orb in the sky. She smiled sadly up at it, remembering that it had been full, too, when she first decided to run. **

_**It's funny, but, since then… I haven't stopped running away. From home, from school, even from the shack. **_

**For a moment, as she took one last look back at the house, she thought she saw movement on the roof, but then it was gone, and all was still again. **

_**How would I feel, if I did stay? The time I would spend here, I know, would be great, but then, inevitably, they'd get sick. It would start with Tohru… and Yuki… Kyo… they'd never forgive me for that. Not that they'd have very long to be angry… How would I feel, when it was over? Would I be happy for the time we shared… or would I just be guilty, like before? Would it even matter that for once, I was happy… when it ended… when it ends… does the time we shared… with the people we love… really matter?**_

**It was cold outside that night, and dark despite the moon's light. Her suitcases were heavy, and she had to stop in the middle of the woods to rest, sitting on the largest one.**

_**Funny… it didn't seem like quite so much, last time… **_

**The wind howled, sending a cascade of autumn leaves showering over her. A single tear showed brightly on her cheek, glowing like the moon itself. **

_**I shouldn't be upset… I should be glad… for them… for the life that they can have… because I was strong enough to leave. I shouldn't cry. I won't.**_

**She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to still the tears in her eyes. It was cold, it was dark… and once again, she was alone.**

"**Miss Silvers?"**

"**Ah! Yuki… what are you doing out here?"**

"**I could ask you the same question."**

"**Oh… I guess you could." _I didn't feel his presence… I didn't know he was coming… Why?_**

"**I was gardening."**

"**In the woods?"**

**He smiled just a little. "My 'secret base'."**

"**Oh."**

"**Now you. What are you doing in the middle of the woods at night with all your things?"**

"**As if that's a difficult question to answer. Isn't it obvious? I'm running away… again."**

"**Why on earth would you do that?"**

"**Yuki… don't make me say it again… I have to… you know this."**

"**You're being ridiculous, Miss Silvers. You are not cursed. But you are going to catch cold if you stay out here."**

"**Stop it! Don't you get it! I'm leaving to help _you_! All of you! I'm going so that you, and Tohru, and Kyo and Shigure can go on with your lives… as if none of this ever happened… and as if I didn't exsist. Because… the only alternative is for me… to be happy for a few short years before… you die. And there might not even be a few years… the length seems to lessen each time." She took a deep breath, stared into the distance for a minute, and then said "You're a kind person, Yuki Sohma… it would be a shame for the world to be deprived of you because I wasn't strong enough to go."**

**It was clear in his eyes that Yuki was at a loss for words. The only thing visible in Kara's shielded gaze were her tears. **

"**There are times… when running away seems best… but perhaps you should try looking around you and seeing that what you have here and now… is what you want to have in your life."**

"**Those are beautiful words, Yuki… but… I just… can't…" Unable to hold in her tears any more, she once again broke down, this time letting every tear in her body and soul come out, dripping down her cheeks and into the cold ground. "This is me… this is how I'm going to be the rest of my life… but you… don't have to be this way… you have friends… and they… they aren't endangered just by knowing you."**

**A sense of irony seemed to radiate from Yuki, and she got a strong sense that he knew more about curses than he let on. She felt her curiosity rise, and tried her very hardest to choke it back, using past sadness and current tears to smother all other emotions. Because more than the irony, there was a sort of hesitation, a sorrow in his soul. To that she could relate more, and to that her soul responded by feeding her more tears when she'd thought she had none.**

"**Y-yuki… please leave. I'll be alright s-soon… when the tears stop… I'm going to get up… and walk away… and you… and Kyo… and Tohru and Shigure… are going to forget all about me… and go on living as you did before."  
**

"**Do you truly believe it works that way? That it's cut and dry, simple? That if you leave and everyone can just move on, and be happy?"**

**She looked up into his eyes, her own shining with tears, but otherwise dark so as to reveal none of their pain. "… that is what… I tell myself…"**

"**What about your friends? The ones you leave behind? They lose your friendship just as you lose theirs. So tell me this; is what you're doing truly selfless?"**

**She shuddered and wrapped her own arms around herself, trying to block out the coldness of his words. The truth. "It's… all that I can give…"**

**He put his hand out to her. "Look at yourself, Miss Silvers. Is this method really working? Why not try something else?"**

**Kara stared at his hand for several long moments. **

"_**There is no place for her… No place at all."**_

**She wanted to find a place where she could feel at home, where she could be loved, but the price was too high, for her, and especially for whoever she came to love, and who came to love her. **

"_**And that's how it should be."**_

"**Miss Silvers? Are you ready to go home?"**

**Home. That was all she really wanted. Was that too much to ask? **

"**I… am ready."**

**She put her hand in his, but stood on her own. She was not going to lean on anyone, because she knew that her choice would make everyone's lives more difficult, and perhaps even shorter. Someday, she would lose them to her curse… but every moment they had together was precious. **

_**I will have to leave, eventually… let it not be their deaths that make it so… please… let it not be their deaths. **_

End note: There you have it, chapter eight. Review and tell me what you think!


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